By Christine Bryant

Think of famous American musicians who profess their love for cannabis, and immediately, hip hop artists and rappers come to mind -- Snoop Dogg at the top of the list. But equally high ranking is country legend Willie Nelson, who performs this Wednesday, August 1 at Marymoor Park--just down the road from Hashtag Cannabis Redmond.

Why does Willie Nelson embrace cannabis? When Nelson gets stoned, it’s not recreational use, he says in an 2016 interview with The Cannabist: “It’s medicine, and it’s already been proven to be medicine. End of story.” Cannabis cures what ails him, Nelson says, and it also keeps him from getting into the trouble he used to get into with beer and whiskey and cigarettes.

Listen to “It’s All Going to Pot,” by Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, where Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson share a joint in the recording studio.

It's all going to pot
Whether we like it or not
As far as I can tell
The world's gone to hell
And we're sure gonna miss it a lot
All of the whiskey in Lynchburg, Tenn.
Just couldn't hit the spot
I've got a $100 bill
You can keep them pills, friend
'Cause it's all going to pot.

In the same interview, Nelson said flatly, “Well, it’s in the Bible. Ezekiel 34:29, where Jesus is talking about seeds and he said, ‘I bring you a seed of renown for the miseries of humanity.’ ” And Willie Nelson comes straight from Bible country. Born in 1933 in a Central Texas farming community, Willie Nelson grew up in a world permeated with music: the gospel songs of the grandparents who raised him; the blues and Mexican corridas that eased the labor of the cotton fields; the country and Western Swing hits filling the airwaves from Nashville and Fort Worth. His early-1970s merger of the traditional country and long-haired hippie audiences was called suicidal at the time, and has since come to be regarded as visionary.

His humor and country roots come through clearly in his song, “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die”:

Roll me up and smoke me when I die
And if anyone don't like it, just look 'em in the eye
I didn't come here, and I ain't leavin'
So don't sit around and cry
Just roll me up and smoke me when I die.

Now, you won't see no sad and teary eyes
When I get my wings and it's my time to fly
Call my friends and tell 'em
There's a party, come on by
Now just roll me up and smoke me when I die.

When asked for his feelings on how cannabis is grown, especially in unregulated environments, Nelson said, “I don’t like it when they put chemicals and pesticides in it; that makes it not much better than a regular old cigarette.”

Willie Nelson himself would approve of the growing practices of Laughing Man Farms on Vashon Island, just outside Seattle, Washington--Laughing Man uses no pesticides, choosing to cultivate their plants in living soil.

Before you enjoy the Willie Nelson and Family concert at Marymoor Park this Wednesday, stop in to Hashtag Redmond (or Fremont!) and pick up some Purple Punch! It’s a relaxing indica that will help you settle right into the mellow, happy sounds of Willie Nelson.

Laughing Man Farms’ Purple Punch has a stoney, sedating high, great for kicking back and enjoying a live concert or even binge-watching Netflix. Purple Punch has a sweet, grape flavor, a million orange hairs, and shiny white trichomes. Since no pesticides are used on any Laughing Man flower, and it’s grown hyper-locally on Vashon Island in living soil, you can smoke a bowl (or vaporize it and save your voice, like Willie would) without a care in the world for your health, knowing you're holding the cleanest ancient medicine you can find.

I’ll close us out with one of my recent Willie favorites, a cover of Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe,” performed as a duet with his son, Lukas Nelson:

Yes I understand
That every life must end
As we sit alone
I know someday we must go
Yeah I'm a lucky man
To count on both hands
The ones I love
Some folks just have one
Yeah others they got none

Stay with me
Let's just breathe